Grab your boards, Subway Surfers coming to Windows Phone [Updated]

Temple Run and its sequel are two extremely popular games on other mobile platforms that have yet to migrate to Windows Phone. We know one of them is coming eventually, but unfortunately the series creator Imangi has been tight-lipped with details. Still, Temple Run isn’t the only 3D endless runner in town.

Subway Surfers from Kiloo also has quite a following on competing platforms. Technically the characters slide, glide and fly around on vehicles as opposed to running, but it’s definitely an endless runner at heart. And soon we’ll be subway surfing on Windows Phone 8!

Secrets of subway surfing

iOS screenshots

As the name implies, the entire game takes place along subway and train tracks. Players control one of several young graffiti artists who are on the run from the MAN. They must avoid numerous obstacles and even jump on top of trains in their mad dash for freedom.

One reason Subway Surfers has risen in popularity is its highly approachable art style. Whereas Temple Run has kind of a serious, realistic look based on the Indiana Jones movies and the Tomb Raider games, Subway Surfers is much brighter and cartoonier. Both looks are completely valid, but I can see why some people would prefer this game’s looks.

Of course, the price surely doesn’t hurt either. Subway Surfers is a free-to-play game. The goal is to collect coins and use them to unlock things, just like Gunstringer: Dead Man Running. Not everybody wants to wait though, so some users spend real money on coin packages. Temple Run works the same way.

Other features include four different playable characters, lots of vehicles to unlock, including a jetpack, and social integration that allows users to challenge and help each other. The Windows Phone port will definitely have some social features, as evidenced by the ‘Friends’ button at the bottom of the title screen.

Windows Phone questions

We learned about the Windows Phone port of Subway Surfers from the Lumia 720 photo at top, which Kiloo posted on the game’s Facebook page and Italian site Plaffo initially discovered. From the picture, we can infer that the game probably requires Windows Phone 8 to run. That’s no surprise as it’s far easier to port iOS games to Windows Phone 8 than 7.

The big question for many of us is whether this game will be Xbox Live-enabled or not. My gut says no, but the game is certainly popular enough to warrant Xbox status. It’s just that Xbox Live certification is such an arduous process that many developers choose to bypass it and publish their games as indie titles instead.

Xbox Live or not, we’d love to know when the game will actually be coming out. The Facebook post doesn’t say, so we’re flying blind on this one. But given the fact that Kiloo has shown the game presumably running on an actual Windows Phone, it’s probably fairly close to completion. Let’s hope so, as Windows Phone needs a 3D endless runner in a bad way!

We’ve reached out to Kiloo and will report back if we learn anything more about Subway Surfers.

Update 1

Sorry folks, as it turns out that image and the news for the story come from a faked Facebook account, albeit one with many people unknowingly following/liking it. We're still waiting to hear from the developers directly, but as of right now it's not looking accurate. Here's the real Facebook page for that company. Thanks, 19kev98, for the heads up

Fake photo and news too. First of all if it wasn't available for windows phone, how did he play game? And windows phones are not available for size ratio shown here. Look at the length of phone. It looks like a 6inches long phone

i hav bought nokia lumia620....
i am very much happy abou updation of subwaysurfer on windows phone.....
but i want to confirm that is this game will be played on lumia 620 and till when it shall be updated,....:)

You must've missed the first paragraph in which we mention the game coming to WP at all was a hoax. But sadly, even many simplistic games will skip WP7 because it's a lot faster and cheaper to port to WP8.

Oh no, I didn't miss it, but that game has to be on our platform sooner or later... Apps like that missing on windows phone is what keeps it from progressing. Microsoft urges developers to create apps so we now have more than 100,000 apps on the marketplace, but the amount of the apps isn't what matters, it is which apps are there... Temple run and subway surfers are the first things people download when they buy a smartphone, windows phone would be a killer os with such games, but without then, a friend of mine that shares my love for subway surfers bought an iPhone sadly, although she hates apple with all her might, only because she needed subway surfers on her phone. That's the only app she has downloaded along with temple run and social networks offcourse...please, try releasing this game for wp7 and 8. Windows Phone 8 isn't even available on my country ! So you might loose many sales to the iphone, which to me reallyvis a pain in the ass. Sorry for sounding rude, but for the good of windows phone's future, that game has to come soon. Please !

At least Developers with the help of Microsoft should TRY to port apps and games for Windows Phone 7x.
There are many of WP7 user that bought the device not knowing there would be WP8 existing all of the sudden.
I can understand if they can't port THIS game or Batman, Modern Combat 4, Nova 3, Spiderman, etc..
BUT PLEASE GIVE US at least " JET PACK JOYRIDE, SHARK DASH "!!!.. I'm 100% SURE my Lumia 800 can HANDLE that!!

It was mentioned in the article that porting from ios is much easier to wp8 than wp7. That is probably why we are seeing all these games being released. MS released their sdk for wp8 a few months ago and now the developers are finishing their ports. Luckily, the contracts for most wp7 user should be up in the next 1/2 year or so and wp8 devices are now available free on contract. However, those that bought the phone, mostly in Europe, are out of luck.

don't foget those that bought from ASIA.. But atleast give US some QUALITY games.. like Jetpack Joyride..
I understand it is easier to port games on WP8... but WE ALL know that it is 100% Possible that it can be port and can be played on WP7 devices.. if they really wanted to.

Hmm...not sure here. The game looks cool, but I might have to pass on it without Xbox LIVE. I'll still download it for my little brother(s) to play if it's free, but personally, I'm a bit of an Achievement addict. I'd rather pay for it to be Xbox LIVE-enabled than have it free withou personally, but I am obviously not the end-all decider of anything.

Actually, it's not quite that. I don't really care about HOW MANY Achievement points I have. Instead, I care about my completion percentage with Achievements/GamerScore. A couple of months ago or so, I realized that I had earned less than 50% of the possible GamerScore on my account.

I wanted to fix that, so I've started replaying some older titles and playing Windows Phone games that are Xbox LIVE-enabled (such as Gun Bros., Asphalt 7, Wordament, and Skulls of the Shogun), with the intention of getting to 50%. Granted, part of why my completion percentage has been dragged down is because Microsoft stupidly tacks on DLC Achievements to an account, even if the person does not have the DLC necessary to earn the achievements (like how MW3 is over 1,600 GamerScore now, but I never got any of the DLC related to the extra 600+).

Keith Wallace, what's your gamertag? I'm a cheevo junkie myself, and have been tackling some older titles and phone games as well. Maybe we can help leach other grind out a few? My gamertag is The Coolester. NOT The Coolestet as my handle here says. Stupid phone keboard! Anyone that wants to grind, send me an invite with a message "let's grind!"

There's no reason for it not to be on WP7.8 !!! WE ALL NEED THAT GAME ! AND WINDOWS PHONE 7 CAN SURE HANDLE IT ! MUCH BETTER THAN ANDROID I'D BET ! I WOULD BE TOTALLY PISSED OFF IF IT WASN'T FOR WP7 !!! PLEASE, RELEASE IT FOR ALL WINDOWS PHONES ! If I can run PES and assassin's creed my Lumia 900 can sure run subway surfers, WE JUST NEED THAT GAME AND WINDOWS PHONE WILL BE HE BEST OS AROUND !